Perfect
by age4age4
Summary: After running into an old friend at a local sports store, Jane is surprised by the fact that him and his high-school sweetheart have broken up-and also why this bothers her so much. Takes place a year after "Is it college yet?"
1. Chapter 1

**Don't I know you from somewhere?**

"Now we just have to add some black...some red...some green..and _voila_...look at what we have here."

"What...? An exact replica of the piece you made over an hour ago?"

"_No_..." Jane began, while continuing to study the painting in front of her-inwardly admitting to herself that it _did_ somewhat resemble the last _great masterpiece_ she had put together an hour and a half ago for the art exhibit she was in next week-but she didn't want to admit that fact out-loud. At least not in front of Daria. "What we have here is grounds for a pizza break. What do you say...? My treat."

Even though the idea of free pizza was usually a deal breaker for Daria, the amount of homework she had waiting for her back in her dorm room caused the school-driven girl to refrain. "Sorry. I have to finish this paper for class tomorrow. You know...stupid teachers and their deadlines."

_Oh yeah...the one thing Lanes aren't good at,_ Jane thought to herself, with a lazy smile; while thinking about the multimedia assignment her and Daria had to do in high-school which Jane's brother Trent almost ruined due to his problems with deadlines. _I'll have to make sure to go and check on him sometime this month-if just to make sure he hasn't burned the house down in his sleep._

Seeing that Daria was starting to pack up her belongings, Jane quickly said: "Hey, you mind dropping me off at the mall on your way back to school? I can grab a slice and check out that new Sports Authority they just opened up there last week."

Never having seen Jane this excited about anything besides food and a new paint brush caused Daria to raise an eyebrow in confusion while saying, "Come again?"

A fact which amused Jane.

"I know-I know. Usually I could care less about anything that remotely involved sports but hey, we all can't have perfect bodies like yours. Some of us acutally have to work hard to stay this size-and besides, I need new running shoes. Leslie's dog chewed up my old pair."

Remembering now why she had decided to remain on campus during their sophomore year while Jane opted to move off campus caused Daria to smirk a little. _The only rabid animal I ever have to deal with is Quinn-and at least, she's semi house trained._

With that thought in mind, Daria agreed that she'd give Jane a lift to the mall, only if the other girl would promise not to turn her radio station as soon as they got in the car.

"Sorry, kiddo. That I cannot promise."

* * *

An hour and a half after Daria had dropped Jane off at University Mall, she had finally decided between two pairs of running shoes to get.

"I can either get the all too familiar cushioning New Balances that are on sale for 19.99 or the black and red Nike sneakers with the really cool looking shocks at the bottom for 39.99...decisions-decisions."

Interestingly enough, before Jane could come to one, a familiar voice uttered his opinion.

"I think you should go for the Nikes. They're a little more expensive than the New Balances, but they're great for building your calves during your morning work-outs. And we both know how much you used to like to run, Jane."

Turning around, Jane was semi surprised to see Micheal Jordan Mackenzi standing in front of her. "Well, I'll be damned. Look who turned up in my neck of the woods-wearing a Sports Authority uniform...can I use your discount?"

After chuckling at this comment, Mack jokingly replied: "It's good to see you too, Jane...I forgot you moved to Boston. Daria did too, right?"

"Yeah...I couldn't just leave the old ball and chain back in Lawndale, now could I?" Jane replied, while putting the New Balances back on the display shelf and following Mack to the front of the store where the cash registers were at. "So, what brings you here? Last I heard you were in Connecticut trying to become a doctor or something..."

"I was..." Mack replied, while beginning to ring up Jane's purchases. "But then I found out after my first year at Vance that my heart wasn't really into it so I decided to focus my energy on something I really wanted to do. Computer programming."

Knowing that Raft was known for its computer programming program caused Jane to put two and two together; now realizing why Mack had decided to move to Boston. "That's cool. But it must suck for Jodie..now the two of you are even further away from each other."

After telling Jane her total, accompanied with his store discount, Mack shrugged a little while saying, "Not really. We decided to take a break during Christmas vacation last year, but we still talk every other day. No big deal."

_No big deal? _

From as far back as she could remember Mack and Jodie had always been an item. All through out high-school, no one knew either one of them as just Mack or just Jodie, they were simply Mack _and_ Jodie. Jane couldn't believe for one second that the two high-school sweethearts breaking up was no big deal to Mack. It was a **huge** deal.

Unfortunately she didn't have time to ask Mack anymore about it as another customer was waiting in line behind Jane to pay for his item.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around sometime, Jane. Maybe, if you know of any good pizza places around here, me, you and Daria could go hang out or something."

"Yeah," Jane replied, still taken aback a little by Mack's nonchalant tone when discussing his and Jodie's break up. "I'm sure Daria wont mind. I'll see you later, Mack."

"All right, see you later, Jane."


	2. Chapter 2

**WHAT COULD IT BE?**

_Is that a pickle under your dress or are you just happy to see me...? Tucking drag-queens on the next sick sad world_

"You know, I bet you somewhere right now there is one very **pissed-off** RuPaul threatening to sue the pants off the producers of this show-"

"Or in this case, their _panties_," Daria sleepily joked, before muting the TV screen in front of them and turning back towards her stalling friend, "So, I thought the whole purpose of you dropping by was to see how I was doing with my English assignment, but since you've been here for the last hour and a half and have yet to ask me how it's going, I have to ask...is there something wrong?"

Normally Jane would've feigned innocence at this question and countered Daria's accusation with a rebuttal of her own, but since her friend was right and there **was** actually something on her mind right now, she decided to skip all pleasantries.

"Okay, you got me. You remember last week when you dropped me off at the mall so I could buy new running shoes...? Well, you'll never guess who I bumped into at Sports Authority..."

Not one for guessing games caused Daria to absentmindedly reply: "Let me guess, the Dalai Lama?"

"You're not even trying, are you, Daria...?" Jane asked, with an accusing glare before continuing with: "No, it was none other than Mack Daddy, himself. Turns out he dropped out of Vance and is now here in Boston studying to become a computer programmer...and get this, he said that him and Jodie called it quits _months_ ago and their both _fine_ with it. Can you believe that, Daria?"

After studying the female in front of her to see if she was serious or not-which she could tell she was-Daria outwardly questioned if she was supposed to be in disbelief that Mack was in Boston studying to become a computer programmer or if she was supposed to be in disbelief that him and Jodie had broken up and were both completely fine with it.

"The latter, of course, Daria! Haven't you been paying attention?" Jane exclaimed, while standing up and dramatically throwing her arms in the air for effect, "I mean, this is not just some run of the mill couple we're talking about here. It's _Mack and Jodie_. Lawndale High's most popular couple. They've been together longer than any other couple I know..hell, they've been together longer than I've known you...and their just fine with not being together anymore? I don't buy it. Uh-uh. Not for one single minute...and neither should you."

Having never seen her friend this worked up over something so trivial caused Daria to just watch in surprise as Jane began pacing back and fourth in front of her; throwing out idea after idea as to why their friends had broken up in the first place.

"Maybe he cheated on her..or maybe she cheated on him...? No! That can't be it 'cause he said they were still friends and talked almost every other day..maybe they just-"

"Grew apart?"

As if, for the first time, just realizing that Daria was still in the room, Jane stopped and stared at the woman in front of her as if she had suddenly grown two heads, and then after a second of shaking her head at her friend's words, she replied: "No, that can't be it..it has to be something bigger...something **huge**...I just wonder what it could be."

_And something tells me I'm not going to get any work done until she finds out what that something is.  
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Sorry so short, setting it up for the next chapter..what do you think so far though?


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